Andrew Anderson: As Long As This Thing's Flyin'

A bearded singer in a cowboy hat hailing from Boise collected
drummer Luke Meade and guitarist J.R. Harris to form the "country/post
punk/Western swing" band of no-nonsense country blues that would bare
his name: Andrew Anderson.

The group's philosophy could be described in the track, "Damn It
Man": "I smoke too much / I drink too much / I swear too much and my
life is riddled with sin." But Anderson himself might, in a nutshell,
best be described as an original homestyle voice paired with altruistic
acoustic accoutrements.

It's this blending of Dylan-style vocals with structured rock chords
and bittersweet subject matter that creates a wholesome album, As
Long As This Thing's Flyin', their fourth full-length endeavor. The
fast-paced number "The Hawk," in particular, makes this reviewer want
to dance with a pretty lady.

The band has a variety of influences. On their MySpace profile, they
quote Ernest Hemingway, Jack London and J.K. Rowling, and those
inspirations are expressed via guitars, banjos, mandolins, drums,
pianos and harps.

In the track "Necessary Casualties," Harris plays a delicate
mandolin intro as Anderson croons a political message about war and its
futility, questioning "this other guy / who sits at a desk and writes
checks / that constantly send our nation further into debt."

Anderson and company celebrate the release of the CD with a shindig
at Terrapin Station on Tuesday, Nov. 10. They'll share the party, which
starts at 9 p.m., with friends SGFY and Jeremiah James. Best yet, the
show is free.

As Long As This Thing's Flyin' harkens back to the days
before synthesizers when fingers were callused, throats were sore and
makin' your own sweet music hurt so good.